Mayor Joe Curtatone, City Council President Matt McLaughlin, School Committee Chair Andre Green, Superintendent Mary Skipper

On Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia, a shooting rampage at area spas left eight people dead, six of whom were women of Asian descent. This tragedy is emblematic of an unacceptable cruelty taking root in our society and serves as further evidence of the blatant racism in our country designed to oppress our neighbors, friends and community members. Hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans in major U.S. cities rose by 150% last year, and within that number, women have been disproportionately targeted. Sadly, Asian and Asian American women in our city and region also have been the victims of this open bigotry. We recognize the growing and justifiable fear you may be experiencing in the wake of the senseless violence.